This recently designed super-elastic iron alloy has two very different potential applications. It can be used to prevent blood vessels from collapsing and to return earthquake-deformed buildings to their original state.

The alloy is described as having a super-elasticity which allows it to "return to its original form and gives it additional properties, such as ductility and a change in magnetisation." This means that it could be used in surgeries to place tubes which keep blood vessels from collapsing as well as to construct "quake-proof structures" which would go right back to their original shapes after an earthquake.

It may not match my definition of "quake-proof", but the potential medical and construction applications for this metal are amazing. No word on what it's going to be named yet though. [Reuters via Pop Sci]

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